


Unrequited

by Merfilly



Category: DCU - Comicverse
Genre: Jealousy, M/M, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-01-05
Updated: 2007-01-05
Packaged: 2017-12-05 18:48:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/726671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Merfilly/pseuds/Merfilly





	Unrequited

He had always buried the jealousy in his good-natured teasing. Every time Bruce Wayne added another number to his little black book, Dick was there to tease. If Batman was captured by a kiss from one of their lady villains, Robin added a quick line in at his mentor's expense. Both types of gibes were tolerated, even encouraged in the case of the former one, to maintain pretenses. 

At ten, it had been seen as youthfully boyish rejection of the women in his mentor's life.

At twelve, it was a sign of his hero worship for the man.

Fourteen saw it as the true dedication of the boy to his calling, a light hearted way for Robin to keep Batman on track.

By sixteen, Dick never said a word about the socialites. And Robin had stopped caring about Catwoman or any other femme fatale in Batman's life.

Or so it seemed as one after another passed through the dual life, and the Boy Wonder merely scowled where his mentor could not see it. He continued to work hard, to train, to be the best ward a rich man could have in his life. All of it while keeping his darkest, deepest secret buried from the older man, from Alfred, from everyone, even the girl he was expected to see and be seen with.

Every time they came in, and Dick was hurt, he wanted to admit to the secret, wanted to share his guilt in the open, because when he was hurt…he could see the love in even Batman's eyes.

Then they would go and fall right back into the mission and something would happen to remind Dick or Robin that life did not let them be open. That was the reason they wore masks, and had to think in two different personas. 

And, if it was just the matter of being different, Dick and Robin both had seen too many hate crimes to think that way was any easier than just being a rich kid with issues in funny clothes. 

So he kept quiet, all the old jealousy still there, but silenced.


End file.
